MLB Outlook: How Will the National League Turn Out?

As the season is coming to an end, there are many debates about who will win division races, who will win the awards, and how it will all end.

We all know what is statistically true, but there are other things that matter too. Fans pay much attention to baseball, so they know and understand a lot about which players and teams are good and which are not.

So I would like to hear what you think, as fellow fans. I will put out the facts and after that, it's all up to you.

Tell me your (possibly biased) opinions by commenting at the bottom of the page.

National League East

Let's start out with the National League East.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies are first in the division in front of the Braves.

They have three aces: Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt. They also have a strong offense led by slugger Ryan Howard.

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are second in the National League East by 0.5 games.

They have a strong starting rotation featuring Tim Hudson, Jair Jurrjens, and Tommy Hanson. They also have a very good starting lineup with Omar Infante and Troy Glaus.

These are the two main teams in the race, so I will skip over the others in the East.

National League Central

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds are leading the National League Central by six games.

They have a very good team this year. They have a strong starting rotation, with rookie Mike Leake and Bronson Arroyo. They also have a strong offense led by Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips.

St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have not been as good as expected this year.

They have some of the best starting pitchers in the league in Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. They also have a good offense, with Albert Pujols as their best hitter.

As in the East, the rest of the teams are not close to winning, so I will not talk about them.

National League West

San Diego Padres

The Padres have surprised everyone this year—they are currently leading the NL West by two games over the Giants.

They have good pitching with Heath Bell and Mat Latos. They also have good hitting with Miguel Tejada and Adrian Gonzalez.

San Francisco Giants

The Giants have a very good starting rotation with Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, Barry Zito, and Jonathan Sanchez. They also have a good offense with Aubrey Huff and Buster Posey.

Most of the other teams in the West are not likely to make the playoffs, so I will not talk about them, either.

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies are four games behind the Padres. They have a good offense, led by Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki. They also have a strong starting rotation with Ubaldo Jimenez.

So there you have it—all of the teams who are close in the playoff race. Comment at the bottom to express your opinion.

National League Wild Card

The teams who are close to winning the Wild Card were all mentioned above, so I won't say them again (but you can still say who you think will win the Wild Card by commenting).

NL Cy Young Award

As you know, almost any pitcher can win the Cy Young, but I have narrowed down the main candidates that have been talked about.

Roy Halladay

Halladay has been the main ace of the Philadelphia Phillies this year.

He is 17-10 with a 2.36 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 196 strikeouts. Even his good record is deceiving because he has not had much run support this year by the Phillies.

He has also pitched a perfect game this season against the Florida Marlins.

Ubaldo Jimenez

Jimenez is perhaps the most talked about pitcher in the National League.

He is 18-6 with a 2.79 ERA and 178 strikeouts. He had a great start to this season, with many good games, including a no-hitter.

Near the middle of the season, he had a few rough outings, but recently he has been doing very well and is one of the main Cy Young candidates for this year.

Adam Wainwright

Wainwright is one of the St. Louis Cardinals' aces. He is 17-10 with a 2.34 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP this season. He also has 184 strikeouts.

Josh Johnson

Johnson is another great pitcher. He is 11-6 with a 2.30 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts.

Chris Carpenter

Chris Carpenter is the other ace for the Cardinals. This season, he is 15-5 with a 2.90 ERA, and 158 strikeouts.

Tim Hudson

Hudson is one of the Atlanta Braves' good pitchers. He is 15-6 with a 2.41 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP. He has 117 strikeouts this season.

Tim Lincecum

Lincecum is one of the San Francisco Giants' great pitchers. He is 13-9 with a 3.69 ERA and 199 strikeouts.

Johan Santana

Santana is probably the New York Mets' best pitcher. He is 11-9 with a 2.98 ERA and 144 strikeouts.

There are the main candidates for the National League Cy Young award. Now, let's go to the Rookie of the Year.

National League Rookie of the Year Award

Here are some of the main candidates for the NL Rookie of the Year.

Jaime Garcia

This season, Jaime Garcia is 13-6 with a 2.35 ERA.

Starlin Castro

Castro has a .317 batting average, 40 RBI, and three home runs this season.

Ian Desmond

Ian Desmond currently has a .286 batting average, 58 RBI, and nine home runs.

Jason Heyward

Jason Heyward has a .285 batting average with 16 home runs and 65 RBI.

Gaby Sanchez

This year, Sanchez has a batting average of .280, 73 RBI, and 16 home runs.

Those are the main candidates for the Rookie of the Year award. Now, let's talk about possible National League MVPs.

National League Most Valuable Player Award

Here are some of the main MVP candidates for the National League.

Joey Votto

This year, Joey Votto has a .321 batting average, 32 home runs, and 98 RBI.

Albert Pujols

Pujols has a .308 batting average, 35 home runs, and 97 RBI.

Adrian Gonzalez

Gonzalez is currently batting .307 with 27 home runs and 89 RBI.

Carlos Gonzalez

Carlos Gonzalez has a batting average that leads the league at .340. He also leads the league in RBI at 100 and the third most home runs with 32.

Those are the main 2010 NL MVP candidates.

So, comment at the bottom to tell me your opinion on the matters discussed.